Devotion - 26 November - Church of the Future

A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. We conclude our sermon series of the 500^thanniversary of the reformation. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin.

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Laodicea, at the time of John’s writing was very wealthy; complacent; and self-sufficient. In fact, it was destroyed recently by an earth quake and the citizens were prosperous enough to rebuild it. This prosperity is lulling the community and, especially the church, into an attitude of going along to get along.  The church is there but not making an impact on society. Jesus, through John, is trying to shake the parishioners out of this and to be a bold church. Our text, then, is warning us not to be a lukewarm church. If the reformers of 500 years ago had been lukewarm instead of hot and bold, the reformation would likely not have been so transformative. You might not be reading this post, etc. Are there things you and I should be doing to keep from being lukewarm? Let’s look at the world around us and continue in the great and bold reformer mindset!!